Beyond ketchup: 6 simple sauces to brighten dishes

Discover which condiments are the unsung heroes of the culinary world

 

Across the globe, sauces and condiments are ubiquitous fixtures on dinner tables. Some are renowned for their flavour-enhancing qualities, while others are added to enhance a meal's vibrancy and textural interest.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions regarding what is a must-have on their table for every meal.

For us, KETCHUP hits every taste on the human palate, making it the king of condiments.

As such, it can literally be regarded as an 'uber-food', since it stimulates at least four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and umami. Of course, the bright colour can also not be overlooked as it helps add a unique visual interest to whatever’s cooking.

Condiments like ketchup have long proved to be the most tried-and-tested way of helping fussy children eat their veggies. When we think about it, sauces and ketchup are the keys to most of the food we devour. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it seems incomplete without a bottle of our favourite condiment: Ketchup.

Whether you’re someone who enjoys ketchup or you like to spruce up your meals with other sauces, you’d be surprised to learn about the various different types of sauces and ketchup you can find in addition to the standard run-of-the-mill basic ketchup. Chances are you’ve never heard of some of these, and others you might have thought about trying.

Here’s your queue to start living your best life with scrumptious sauces and ketchup variants that will make your food taste better than ever!

 

1. Chimichurri

This classic Argentinian condiment is often served alongside the steaks. The combination of chimichurri with rib-eye steak grilled to perfection is indeed an extraordinary combination! This sauce can be made in myriad variations, some with more olive oil and others with just cilantro or parsley instead of both.

 

2. Sriracha

Sriracha sauce has gradually grown from a cult taste to one of the culinary industry’s most popular condiments. The moderately spicy sauce is typically made from red jalapeno-hybrid chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Interestingly, even though sriracha is made using chillies, it isn’t as hot as some may expect.

On the Scoville scale - a scale that measures the heat intensity of chili peppers - the hot sauce measures 2,200. Despite this, it is still classed as a hot sauce because it uses ingredients that give it a unique taste and slight kick when drizzled over your food. Although it was originally introduced as a dipping sauce, many people choose to smother and cook their food in sriracha, too.

3. Hollandaise

Hollandaise is a creamy sauce, made from egg yolk, melted butter, and lemon juice, seasoned with salt and either white pepper or cayenne pepper. It has a tangy kick to it and can be enjoyed on its own when paired with vegetables, seafood, and even eggs. However, a number of derivatives can also be made from Hollandaise. The buttery sauce is an essential condiment for the classic dish, Eggs Benedict.

 

4. Mayonnaise

The thick, creamy, and cold sauce is made from egg yolk, olive oil, vinegar, or lemon juice. People all over the world love to add mayonnaise to hamburgers, sandwiches, and composed salads. You can enjoy it as it is or transform it into cocktail sauce, curry sauce, tartar sauce, Andalouse, Gloucester, Chantilly sauce, and most of all garlic mayo!

 

5. Béchamel

This creamy white sauce is one of the basic mother sauces, as you can use it as a base for many other condiments. It’s based on milk that’s thickened with a white Roux and flavoured with nutmeg, cloves, and onion. The Roux is typically made from equal parts of butter and flour by weight. The sauce is used as an ingredient in baked pasta and chicken pot pie filling. Some people also like to devour it by smearing it onto sandwich bread.

 

6. Thousand Island

Yep, we’d swim across a thousand islands to get our hands on this one! Thankfully, we don’t need to with brands like Kanas making premium sauces available to us conveniently.

Thousand Island is one such dressing or condiment that features on most tables at home and in restaurants. The palatable sauce heightens any meal, whether it’s poured over a green salad, burger, chips, or used as a dipping sauce with fried items. The slightly tangy mayonnaise-based condiment tastes superb with just about anything!

 

 

With the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, you may already be stressing about the food you’ll be gorbing at the time of iftar while keeping a balance on praying and managing other activities. Kanas does not want you to be satisfied with less when you can send your taste buds on a tantalising journey. The brand has introduced a range of sauces, mayonnaise, and ketchups to spice up your favourite foods. Ketchups? Why did we say ketchups?

For the first time in Pakistan, the innovative brand has introduced a distinctive ketchup option for those who are looking to spice things up beyond the norm. Each of their sauces and ketchup varieties is a must-have for your dining table! They're made with love and a unique blend of ingredients to enhance flavours when paired with your go-to snacks and meals.

If you’re looking for the perfect blend of joy and a burst of flavour, pair your food with the extremely delectable and unique Kanas Jalapeno Ketchup. The sauce hits the right piquancy, making it a sure-fire way of stimulating the senses and making even the blandest food tempting with its spicy flavour profile.

Each type of ketchup, sauces, and mayonnaise brings its own set of pungent uniqueness to the meal. The best part is, if you don't fancy running to the store to buy fiery sauces, you can order the whole range of Kanas sauces, ketchups, and other condiments online from Daraz, so that you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home.